George wiiittakeb



(No Model.)

I G.- WHITTAKER. GRIPPBR FOR TRACTION ROPE RAILWAY S.

No. 434,140. Patented Aug. 12. 1890.

WITNESSES:

' INI/EIVTUH ATTORNEYS.

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Entree STATES PATENT Prion.

GEORGE lVHITTAKER, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO OLIVER L. GARDNER, OF SAME PLACE.

GRIPPER FOR TRACTION-ROPE RAiLWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,140, dated August 12, 1890. Application filed April 3, 1890. Serial No. 346,382. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE lVHITTAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Rope Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in grips adapted for cable cars on traction-rope railways; and the primary object of the invention is to overcome the sudden jar due to the cable being grasped by the jaws of the grip when the car is started and to enable the grip-jaws to be opened and closed with ease and facility.

The present invention is especially designed for use in connection with gripping mechanism which-positively engages with the cable, one form of which positive gripping mechanism is shown and described in United States Letters Patent to E. S. Gardner, No. 291,589, dated January 8, 1884, for traction-rope railway. My improvements, however, are not strictly confined to use in connection with the grip shown in this patent,in which device an upper grip-jaw is carried by a fixed vertical grip-bar, which bar passes loosely through a horizontal slot in thelower grip-jaw, which lower jawis adapted to be raised by means of vertical rods, which are connected by a yoke,

andthrough the latter to an operating-lever. My invention consists of means which are permitted to move longitudinally of the car for a limited distance under the impulse given the shock when the grip-jaws engage the cable, a fixed grip-jaw carried by the sliding sleeve, a rock-shaft having an operating-lever connected thereto, and a movable grip-jaw having a sliding connection with said rock- 'shaft, whichconnect-ion raises or lowers the movable grip-jaw when the shaft is rocked and permits the movable jaw to slide or move with the other parts of the grip on the fixed main shaft under the impulse given to the grip by the cable when the jaws engage the same. This main shaft is made sufficiently strong to sustain the strain to which the grip is subjected. In practice I prefer to provide the vertical grip-bar with an arm having a sleeve to slide freely on the rock-shaft, and the connection between the movable grip-jaw and the rock-shaft is effected by toggle-joints, one of which is pivoted to the yoke or cup which connects the operating-rods of the movable grip-jaw, while the other joint has a sleeve which is keyed to the rock-shaft.

My invention. further consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical view showing my improvements in side elevation. Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section, showing the position of the parts when the cable is released from the jaws of the grip. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the cable is grasped between the jaws of the grip. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the sliding connection between the rock-shaft and movable grip-jaw. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the lower grip-jaw.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, referring to which A designates the rock-shaft, which is'arranged on the under side of the car-frame, or to a frame suitably secured to the axle of the car, and this shaft A is journaled in suitable fixed bearings so as to be rocked or turned by the lever O, which is rigidly attached to one end of said shaft; but; if desired, anotherlever may be provided on the opposite end of said rock-shaft. This rock-shaft is provided on its upper side with a longitudinal groove a, which extends nearly throughout its entire length, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Below the rock-shaft A and in a different vertical plane from said shaft is a strong main shaft B, which is rigidly secured to the carframe, or in any suitable manner to another frame which may be attached to the axles of the car. On the main shaft B is fitted a sliding sleeve D, which carries the vertical gripbar of the gripping device, which is substantially the same as that shown in the patent to E. S. Gardner, hereinbefore referred to. This gripping mechanism consists of the vertical grip-bar E, which projects downward through the cable-slot and into .the cable-tunnel, and carries the rigid grip-jaw F between the top of the tunnel and the ordinary horizontal run of the cable. The rigid grip-jaw F is provided in its lower face with a longitudinal groove f, in which the cable rests when the same is raised and held by the grip. The vertical grip-bar E projects through the slot g in the lower grip-jaw G, so that the lower jaw G may be raised and lowered upon the rigid vertical bar E, and when said grip-jaw is lowered it is situated below the ordinary horizontal run of the cable. The lower gripjaw G is provided in its upper face with a longitudinal groove g, similar to the groove f in the rigid grip-jaw, and when said jaws are brought together the two grooves therein align and the jaws are rigidly held or gripped on the cable.

The lower movable gripjaw is provided near its ends with perforations Z, through which pass the vertical rods H, said rods being secured in position at their lower ends to the lower jaw G by nuts (I. The upper ends of the rods H pass through perforations in lugs made integral with the upper end of the vertical grip-bar E, and said rods are secured to the ends of the cap or yoke K by means of nuts f. To the yoke or cap K, at a point midway of its length, is pivoted one end of a toggle-joint L, and the other end of this toggle-joint is provided with a sleeve L, which fits loosely on the rock-shaft A and carries a projecting lug or key Z, which key fits in the longitudinal groove a in the upper side of the rock-shaft A, so as to be capable of longitudinal'movement therein when the grip is moved under the impulse given thereto by the cable.

Around the main shaft B, between the ends of the sliding sleeve D and the bearings of said shaft B, are arranged one or more coiled springs M, which serve to cushion the sliding sleeve and the grip and to take up the shock and jar when the grip engages the cable.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the gripping. mechanism and the sleeve D, as well as .the connection between the rock-shaft and the grip, are capable of being moved longitudinally on the shafts A and B as the cable is grasped between the two jaws of the grip, and that the cushionsprings take up the shock and jar.

The operation of my invention is as follows: \Vhen the car is at rest, the grip-jaws are open and out of engagement with the cable,

and the various parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 4. To start the car, the lever C is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3, which rocks the rock-shaft A and the end of the toggle-joint, which is secured to such shaft, and is depressed so that the other end of said joint is elevated, thereby raising the yoke or cap K and the rods II, which are attached to the ends of said cap or yoke, and thus the lower grip-jaw G is lifted and slides on the grip-bar E until the cable is grasped between. the two grip-jaws F and G. The moving cable exerts a pull on the gripping device and causes the same to move forward in the direction in which the cable runs. The key in one end of the toggle-joint moves in the groove in the upper side of the rock-shaft A, and the sleeveD slides along the fixed main shaft 13 until one or more of the springs M are so compressed on one side of the sleeve D or extended on the opposite side, as to equal the pull exerted on the gripping device by the cable when the car is started on its journey very smoothly and without the shock and jar so common in starting cars .of this class.

\Vhen the cable is released from the gripjaws by a reverse movement of the lever C, the spring M, which was compressed by the forward movement of the sleeve D, returns said sleeve and the gripping device connected thereto to the positions shown in Fig. 1.

Although I have'described the operation of the springs M as if they were not connected to the sleeve D, yet it is not essential that the springs shall be connected to the sleeve; but it is evident that by connecting the inner ends of such springs to the ends of the sliding sleeve one of the springs will be compressed and the other distended, so that the compression on one spring and the tension on the other will quickly start the car on its journey without any jar.

I am aware that changes and modifications in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction can be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention; and I would therefore have it understood that I reserve the right to make such alterations as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

IIO

1. In a traction-rope railway, the combination of a rock-shaft having the operatinglever, amain shaft carrying the rigid gripjaw, a movable grip-jaw adapted to be raised or lowered on the grip-bar and connected by means, substantially as described, to the rockshaft, which permits the grip to move longitudinally for a limited distance of the car, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a traction-rope railway, the combination of a stationary shaft, a sliding sleeve fitted thereon, a main grip-bar secured rigidly to said sliding sleeve, a rigid grip-jaw on the main grip-bar, a movable grip-jaw having a slot through which passes the main grip-bar, devices for elevating and depressing the movable grip-bar, a rock-shaft arranged at one side of the main shaft, a sliding sleeve keyed to the rock-shaft and connected with the movable jaw, and the cushion springs, substantially as described.

3. In a traction-rope railway, the combination of the grooved rock-shafthaving the operating-lever rigidly attached thereto, the stationary main shaft, the sliding sleeve carrying the rigid grip-jaw, the movable gripjaw, the vertical rods attached to the movable GEORGE WHITTAKER. Witnesses:

NVM. PUNLINSON, J12, E. E. WHITTAKER. 

